Enterprise Content Management (“ECM”) is the strategies, methods and tools used to capture, manage, store, preserve, and deliver content and documents related to organizational processes. ECM covers the management of information within the entire scope of an enterprise whether that information is in the form of a paper document, an electronic file, a database print stream, or even an email. ECM encompasses document management, web content management, search, collaboration, records management, digital asset management, work-flow management, capture and scanning.
ECM is necessary to an organization for several reasons. One reason is the need to comply with regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. A proper compliance strategy ensures that proper business practices are followed and that content is properly captured, stored, managed, and disposed of at the appropriate and legal time in its lifecycle. Another reason is to effectively enable collaboration between individuals. Strong collaboration requires utilizing technologies (e.g. instant messaging, whiteboards, online meetings, email) that allow work to take place wherever and whenever needed. Another reason is to improve an organization's efficiency and drive down the cost of doing business by, for example, reducing business process delays and improving customer service interactions.
ECM is primarily aimed at managing the life-cycle of information from initial publication or creation all the way through archival and eventually disposal. ECM applications are delivered in three ways: on-premise software (installed on the organization's own network), Software-as-a-Service (web access to information that is stored on a vendor's system), or a hybrid solution composed of both on-premise and off-premise components. ECM aims to make the management of corporate information easier through simplifying storage, security, version control, process routing, and retention. The benefits to an organization include improved efficiency, better control, and reduced costs.